Yellow Bistro

I went to Yellow again. There are some pastries that I would like to try (including the elusive date tart, though no luck this time as well. the weather is too hot, the chef said), and I had promised Elise and Stella that we would go this week.

Cappuccino- Single Origin, $3.45. Coffee is not as good as Toby's Estate. I could still taste a slight bitter in the coffee and the aroma is not as strong.

Croque Madame, $18.98. When I saw it on another table the last time I came with Ja, I knew I had to return to try it. It is pricey, as with all things here, but they are generous with their portion and it is quality food as well. Croque madame is basically 2 slices of pan-fried toasts stuffed with melted Gruyere cheese, generous ham servings and a runny yellow egg. There is a thick sweet chilli paste at the side, which I slathered onto the toast. It goes well together, savoury and sweet. Best part of it was the melting cheese and the golden crisp toast. It was so good... I remember the three of us just eating and not talking. We shared one plate; must leave some space for the pastries.

Strawberry Marscapone, $11.50. I like it! Coconut dacquoise (three layers), filled with light marscapone cheese and halved strawberries. Refreshing and fragrant. Coconut flavour is very intense, lots of dessicated coconut for texture. People who are not keen on coconut shouldn't like this, but people like me, who loves coconut, will rejoice! I particularly like how the chef has slightly caramelized the top, giving a bit of colour to contrast the pale marscapone and dacquoise layers.

Chocolate Ganache with Raspberries, $12.65. At first look, I assumed it was an Opera. It looked like one, you know, the classic chocolate glaze with gold leaf decor. It was Stella who brought this cake to our attention. Thick and luscious chocolate ganache? (from the colour i would think it is a mousse), fresh raspberries (middle layer) and very very moist and chocolatey sponge layers (i suspect it is flourless chocolate sponge). The top is covered by chocolate glaze and a sprinkle of gold-dusted bits of nuts. (who would have thought to dust your nuts with gold?)

One wonders how did they set the price to include all these weird cents and decimals..

I was so so full by the end of it. Almost too full to have lunch... but I did anyway, haha.

Yellow Bistro and Food Store

57 Macleay Street, Potts Point 2011 NSW

Phone: 9357 3400

End.

La Renaissance

After pyrmont market, in need of something cold and sweet, Elise and I decided to walk from Pyrmont to Circular Quay, to La Renaissance.

Sitting in the courtyard garden of La Renaissance, armed with a glass of cold orange juice each and two cold desserts, we nursed our tired and dehydrated bodies from walking 2.6km on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

La Renaissance is famous for their creme brulee. We didn't try it the last time we were here, so Elise got it this time. There is ample sugar on the top although it doesn't look like it. When Elise brought her creme brulee to the table, I said: you want to get more sugar for that? Yeah, probably. But when we tested our spoons on the surface, we found that there was sugar alright, just not enough colour. I suppose La Renaissance used white sugar, because Bourke Street Bakery's brulee tart has got a more intense colour, and they use brown sugar. The custard was very smooth and light, with lots of vanilla seeds in it (which were discovered when we reached the bottom of the ramekin).

Zulu- Valrhona “Araguani” 72% and Jivara 40% chocolate mousse with a chewy salted caramel “Araguani” Ganache centre, macaron biscuit and flourless chocolate biscuit base. Eat in $9.00

Take away $8.00. I originally wanted to get the creme brulee too. But I saw Zulu, this smooth velvety dome marred by a messy smear of bright, chocolate glaze, beautiful... I'll take that. It did not disappoint. It tasted as interesting as it sounded on the description card, though I had imagined the ganache center to be a mildly sweet and salty adzuki bean paste. Don't know why, it just tasted like sweet salty bean to me. The Valrhona chocolate mousse was wow.

La Renaissance Café Patisserie

47 Argyle Street

The Rocks Sydney NSW 2000

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Pyrmont Market

Time flies. It is already my second pyrmont market visit this year. I use my visits to pyrmont market to measure the time I spent in Sydney. Pyrmont market only happens once a month (the first Saturday of each month), and I do make it a point to go every time, you see. To sum up, it is my 7th week in Sydney now, two more to go and I'll be home in Singapore. =)

Elise and I arrived at the market later than usual. It was blazing hot when we got there, and to our horror the market stalls were starting to close... Since when the market closes this early? It's barely half past ten in the morning. It never occur to me to check the closing time of the market since I was always there super early and usually left before the stalls started closing. Well, now I know, pyrmont market starts at 7am, closes at 11am.

Consummate: my favourite artisan bread baker. I planned to buy my beloved olive bread (best olive bread I reckon in Sydney) but it was sold out. All that was left were a few pathetic looking baguettes and a meager selection of pastries. I settled for a baby sourdough (they call it The Little One $3, cute right?) from La Tartine which is quite good. In fact I tried to recreate Yellow's croque madam this morning with the sourdough. Yumm.

Breakfast: Bacon and egg sourdough roll with chilli jam from Consummate, $5. Best bacon and egg roll in the market simply because they go to the trouble to use proper sourdough roll. Chilli jam is a bonus.

Our favourite coffee in Sydney: Toby's Estate. A cappuccino and a latte, $3 each. I really like toby's estate coffee. It is strong, very full-bodied and smooth. And when you have it with milk (cafe au lait), it is naturally sweet, no need to add sugar.

It is my first time seeing a portable pizza oven. wow. It was only when we were having our bacon and egg rolls that we saw the pizza stall at the far end of the market. Fresh pizza! Will try the next time if it is still there.

This caught my eye. Prickly pears! with a caution sign on it. And incidentally, during school yesterday, we learned that there is a Prickly Pear Festival in Turkey. I wonder if there is a connection...

Pyrmont Growers' Market

Opposite Star City, Sydney, NSW

First Saturday of each month

7am - 11am

End.

Yellow

Sydney 10 best patisserie: 2. Yellow. It operates as a café as well as a patisserie. You come for the desserts and stay for the date tart. - Time Out Sydney

I really really want to try the date tart. The legendary date tart that costs $15 a slice, which I am willing to pay because it is the original The Quay's signature dessert. And I heard it is very very good. Therefore, Ja and I, hopeful bright-eyed young girls, stood at the cake counter for a long time. We saw many pastries, beautiful pastries, but we didn't see the date tart. Perhaps it is in the menu? Such sacred item is not for public viewing? No such luck. After a polite inquiry, we were told that the chef makes the date tart only when she has the time... not even a specific date so that we know when to come back for the tart. =(

Single Origin Cappuccino.

Flourless chocolate cake, $10. It might look plain and way too expensive for the tiny serve, but don't be deceived by its looks. Flourless: from the word, you would expect a dense, rich texture. Guess what, Yellow's version has all the texture of a mousse, except that it is warm, slightly above room temperature. How cool is that. And for all that airy fairy stuff, Ja and I can't even finish half the cake. It is so rich.

Rhubarb tart. I think this it around $10 as well? Dine-in and take-away prices are different. The rhubarb tart is great as well. I love the generous amount of brown sugar on the top of the tart, it sparkles! The sweetness is effectively balanced by the sour rhubarb and maybe strawberry filling. There is dollop of thickened cream at the side (same for the flourless chocolate cake too). I like the cream. I think Ja likes it too. And we both agreed that it goes well with the flourless chocolate cake.

Coconut macaron. Different from your usual macaron, this coconut macaron is more like a meringue with a chewy center, no buttercream filling. I like it! (sorry ja, i didn't know you didn't like coconut in baked products!)

Very happy today because I bought the Bourke Street Bakery Cookbook for $50 at the sunday market. (usual price $69.95) =)

57-50 Macleay St

Potts Point, 2011

Phone 02 9357 3400

End.

Guylian Belgium Chocolate Cafe

The dessert after Kasumi.

I have heard alot about Guylian. Mostly it's too bloody expensive! I am curious..

Conclusion: Prices don't match expectations. For take-away, it is $9.50 for that little thing. For dine-in, the price varies from $15.95 to $16.25 (I don't see the difference..). If it weren't for the exorbitant prices, I would say the desserts here are not too bad; your standard up-markety fancy pastries. For that kind of price, I expect liquor infused chocolate bonbons, more than beautiful designs, art pieces, you know what I mean.

100% pure pleasure- panna cotta enclosed in chocolate mousse, covered with chocolate glaze. Dessert plating: a brush of raspberry coulis.

Chestnut Chocolate Cake- chestnut and chocolate ganache, chocolate sponge, covered with chocolate. Can't really taste the chestnut. I guess they used the chestnut paste, which is why it is super sweet. Plus no chestnut bits. Sigh, why call it a chestnut cake? On the bright side, the dessert plating comes with a chocolate passionfruit ice-cream, real surprise here. It was the saving grace of this plate.

Coffee costs around $5. Shouldn't be going back any time soon.

91 George Street

The Rocks

Sydney NSW 2000

End.

Mardi Gras 2010

Happy Mardi Gras! (above, courtesy of australiaentertains.com.au)

Kasumi

27th February 2010 was Australia's Gay and Lesbians Mardi Gras. We were supposed to go for the parade. At least to be physically there to witness gays and lesbians marching in gay-wear. Alas! We never did see the parade. It was blazing hot that day you see; heat zaps energy from humans. And we, I particularly, do not like crowds. Enticed by the prospect of a good dinner followed by real dessert, we easily settled for the latter. On our way to dinner however, we did catch a glimpse of the Mardi Gras; crazy people in crazy get-up.

Kasumi, a Japanese Izakaya and restaurant, is located corner of Liverpool street and Dixon street, opposite an Indonesian restaurant. A Japanese cashier at the Japanese grocer recommended this restaurant when I asked where has good sushi, proudly proclaiming that she works there as well. I would love to hire her for my patisserie in the future, haha.

Stella, Elise and I were the first customers in the restaurant at about 6pm.

We ordered a 300ml bottle of hakushika sake to share. At first it didn't taste like much, it is a little sweet but dry at the same time. But when eaten with sashimi, it became really really sweet. This has got to be the first time for me where the wine (sake in this case) is affected by food.

Sashimi platter. It is not top of the top, but it is fresh.

Soft-shell crab roll. The sushi rice is really tasty. So tasty that in fact I suspect that they used the sushi powder mix... There is not much of soft-shell crab in it though. All I remembered was rice. Right: Cold roasted duck slices, I don't remember the name already, haha. You eat it with the wholegrain mustard. I think it was alright, not too dry and nicely pink in the center. But I thought it could use abit more salt for flavour.

Grilled Kobe beef $16.80. We originally wanted to get the Wagyu steak, but were told by the waitress that they are similar, only difference is the grilled kobe beef is done Japanese style, well and cheaper as well. The beef is quite good, very juicy and tender, but I don't think it is wagyu. Firstly, the price is totally not convincing (I stereotype yes but that is the truth). Secondly, and more importantly, the beef lacks that melt in your mouth quality. I'm not upset though, since it's not like we were cheated or anything, merely misinformed. ._.

We were so full after that, but still managed to gobble up another plate of grilled shisamo. Overall, food is not bad for the price. We paid about $33 each. Probably will come back to try their set lunches. haha. On to dessert!

Chinatown

Shop 2, 6-12 Harbour Street

Sydney, NSW 2000

Phone (02) 9283 6678

End.